Members of the Chipley Kiwanis Club had the opportunity on Tuesday to learn more about the background of the popular Spanish Trail Playhouse (STP) that delights theatre-goers in Chipley.
One of its biggest promoters – Kevin Russell describes the Spanish Trail Playhouse this way: “Imagine an old brick structure in the heart of Chipley, Florida. Within this structure is an auditorium basking in darkness and waiting for the perfect chance to invite someone, much like yourself, to enter its doors and once again allow a multitude of colors to form themselves into a new hope for the community. The year was 2006, and the darkness was erased by energetically raising the curtain to officially open the Spanish Trail Playhouse, an all-volunteer community theatre, that once entertained the Chipley community in the 1960’s.
For over a decade, as President and Organizer of the Spanish Trail Playhouse, I have been privileged to watch this organization expand and create magic beyond my wildest expectations! Embraced by the Washington County School Board and supported by the community, the Spanish Trail Playhouse has been blessed to present a multitude of seasonal favorites. From Steel Magnolias to Disney’s ever-popular Beauty and the Beast, we have constantly worked to ensure the execution of our mission statement: Bringing Live Quality Theatre to Washington County!
As we prepare to begin our 12th season, we do so by remembering those that paved the way for us, and by looking forward to our future. Opening our season with the classic, On Golden Pond, we have created a season full of familiar favorites as well as a few you may be experiencing for the first time. Theatre, in itself, is a collaborative art. It takes the performers, the crew, the staff, and yes, even you, our guest to make the theatre come alive.”
Russell, the guest speaker at Tuesday’s meeting of the Chipley Kiwanis Club, reported that the all-volunteer theatre group is one of two community theatre groups left in Florida that is all-volunteer. Additionally, he said the STP presents scholarships to a number of young people volunteering with the theatre group before going off to college and has proven to help promote economic development within the community.
Russell said there are currently 60 volunteers working with the theatre and they help put on four main stage shows each year.
With a cost ranging from $3,000 to $9,000 per performance, Russell said the SPT annual working budget is around $50,000 a year, with no salaries paid.
Russell added that along with having the Spanish Trail Playhouse as a part of Chipley, there is also a move afoot to provide a Cultural Arts Center for the community and he promised more information about that program in the near future.